Stove construction



Nov. 19, 1946. H. M. REEVES STOVE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 19, 1945 O/ekz/ f %zeerea 514,424 E75 M44. M 5.

0? -r-ro Ragvation convenient for working purposes.

Patented Nov. 19, 1946 STOVE CONSTRUCTION Herbert M. Reeves, Kankakee, 111., assignor to Florence Stove Company, Gardner, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 19, 1945, Serial No. 583,597

7 Claims.

The invention relates to gaseous fuel cookstoves or ranges of the type comprising oven and cooking top sections disposed side by side with the top section equipped with a cover which forms a lateral extension of the oven section so as to provide a continuous flat top surface at an ele- Stoves of this character are commonly made in thirtysix inch and forty inch widths, the former being most popular because of space limitations in small kitchens and also for economy in cost of manufacture. With the construction heretofore commonly employed, ranges of the smaller size are subject to the disadvantage that it is necessary to reduce the width of one or the other of the two sections to an objectionable degree. Thus when the oven compartment is made of ample width, for example, eighteen inches, the width of the cooking top section must correspondingly be reduced, this being particularly tru when the walls of the oven compartment are. insulated and therefore made of substantial thickness.

The general object of the present invention is to remove the limitation inherent in prior constructions so as to permit a more effectual utilization of the space available in the stove body.

A further object is to provide a stove construction in which the cooking top and the oven compartment are so arranged and interrelated that the overall length of the stove is substantially less than the combined widths of the cooking top the oven compartment.

Another object is to provide a range construction of the above character in which the door closing the front of the oven compartment par tially overlaps the cooking top and has its upper edge disposed flush with the top.

A further object is to provide an improved construction which provides a maximum amount of usable space, which permits thorough insulation of the oven and which reduces manufacturing costs substantially as compared to the cost of prior constructions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stove embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in a vertical plane substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in a vertical plane substantiall on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I

have shown in the drawing and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

For purposes of illustration, the invention has been shown as incorporated in a gaseous fuel cookstove having a generally rectangular body with an oven section 5 at one end and a cooking top section 6 at the other end. The oven section has a fixed working top 1 overlying a baking oven 8,-s0 that the top I is disposed in side-by-side rela tion to the cooking top 6. Access to the oven is had by way of a hinged door 9.

In the exemplary stove, the cooking top 6 comprises a flat generall rectangular sheet metal plate or panel I!) formed with a depending marginal flange and having a plurality of depressed annular burner bowls H formed therein. The burner bowls, of which four are shown in the exemplary embodiment are arranged in pairs at opposite ends of the cooking top and are spaced apart longitudinally of the stove so as to provide ample room for the accommodation of conventional cooking utensils. Each of the burner bowls II is formed with a central opening l2 shaped to receive a gas burner l3 supported in any convenient manner in a compartment or burner box I 4 provided below the cooking top.

A utensil supporting grate I 5 is mounted above each burner l3 and is preferably supported slightly above the surface of the cooking top as by bosses it in the panel l0. A flat generally rectangular cover I! of sheet metal has a depending marginal flange Ila adapted to rest on the cooking top. The cover is hinged or otherwise secured at the back of the cabinet to swing from the open position shown in Fig. 1 to the closed position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. In the closed position, the cover ll constitutes an auxiliary working top coplanar with and forming an extension of the fixed working top I.

In the preferred form shown, the oven section 5 comprises an inner shell 29 and an outer shell 2! assembled in nested relation with an interposed layer of heat insulating material 22. The inner and outer shells, which are preferably constructed of sheet metal, are supported in any suitable manner. As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the inner shell 29 comprises upright side panels '23 and 2 3a. and a horizontaltop panel 26. The panels are preferably coated on their inner surfaces with vitreous enamel or other suitable heat resisting coating and form respectively the inner side and top walls of the oven. Transverse ridges 27 embossed in side panels 23 and 23a serve as supports for conventional cooking racks 28. A back wall member 29 secured to the side and top panels of the shell closes the back of the oven.

The outer shell 2!, as herein shown, is formed in a plurality of separate parts including side panels 30 and 3| and a top panel 32. The top panel 32 forms the working top 1 of the stove and together with the panel 26 of the inner shell forms the top wall of the oven compartment. Similarly, the side panels of the two shells form the opposite side walls of the oven compartment.

In order that the cooking top may overlap the oven section and thus permit both of these units to be made of optimum width, the inner insulated side wall 2| of the oven section is connected to the top wall by a corner portion 24 having a rabbet 34 therein forming a seat for the marginal edge of the cooking top panel l0. As best shown in Fig. 2, the corner portion 24 is preferably of convex curvature. It is formed on a relatively large radius so as to provide for a substantial overlap, and the rabbet 3:3 is located at thejunction of the corner portion with the top wall of the oven section so that the seat provided for the cooking top panel is offset substantially from the inner side wall of the oven. In the present instance the rabbet 34 is formed by shaping the upper edge portion of the hell 21 so as to form an upright flange 35 to which the depending marginal flange of the fixed top panel 32 is suit ably secured.

It will be observed that the fixed top wall of the oven section is made of substantially greater thickness than the side walls.

top surface 7 relatively cool when the oven is in operation. At the same time, it permits of the formation of a rabbet of substantial depth to receive not only the flanged marginal edge portion of the cooking top panel IE) but the corresponding edge of the cover I i. In other words, the rabbet may be made of a depth corresponding to the combined thickness of the cooking top panel and its cover so that the top face of the latter is positioned coplanar with and forms an extension of the fixed working surface I of the oven section. While a rabbet of substantial depth has the effect of reducing the thickness of the corner portion 24, it is to be observed that this occurs in the region beneath the cooking top panel and is therefore unobjectionable.

The corner portion 24 has an outer surface 33 sloping upwardly and outwardly away from the adjacent burners [3 so as to afford ample clearance for the burners and their respective burner bowls. At the same time, the radius of curvature is not sufficiently great to reduce to any objectionable degree the volumetric capacity of the oven. In practice, radii of from two to three inches have been found to be satisfactory. For the sake of symmetry, the opposite side of the oven may likewise have a curved corner portion 25 formed on the same radius as the portion 24.

As will be seen from Fig. 1, the oven door 9 is made of conventional rectangular form notwithstanding the use of the curved corner portions 2 3 and 25. However, because of the construction and arrangement employed, the straight upper edge of the door lies flush with the cooking top panel so as to overlie the portion thereof which It is therefore heavily insulated so as to maintain the working I 4 extends beyond the fixed front panel Illa of the cooking top section.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a gaseous fuel cookstove of the table type in combination, a pair of sheet metal shell as sembled in nested relation with an interposed layer of heat insulating material, said shells being mounted at one end of the stove to define an oven, each of said shells having top and side panels connected by corner portions, the top panel of the outer shell forming a fixed working top, means on the side panels of the inner shell for supporting a plurality of utensil racks, a cooking top at the other end of the stove, depressed burner bowls formed in said cooking top and partially overlying said oven, burners mounted below said bowls, a removable cover having marginal edge flanges resting upon said cooking top, said cooking top being depressed below said working top to permit said cover to lie flush therewith, the corner portions of said shells adjacent said cooking top being shaped to provide clearance for the overlying burner bowls and the burners associated therewith.

2. In a gaseous fuel cookstove of the table type having an oven at one end and a cooking top at the other end partially overlying said oven, the combination of an outer sheet metal shell in cluding a horizontal panel forming a working top for the stove and an upright panel disposed below said cooking top'and connected with said top panel by a curved section, an inner sheet metal shell having top and side panels connected by a convexly curved corner portion spaced from the corresponding parts of said outer shell, the side panel of said inner shell having means for supporting an oven rack, a layer of heat insulating material disposed in the space between said inner and outer shells, a sheet metal plate forming the cooking top of the stove, a depressed burner bowl formed in said plate and positioned to extend over the corner portion of said outer shell, and a removable cover for said cooking top, said plate being positioned below saidworking top to permit said cover when closed to lie flush therewith, the curvature of the corner portions of said shells being such as to provide clearance for said burner bowl in the depressed position of said member.

3. A cookstove of the table type having, in com bination, a horizontally disposed fixed working top at one end of the stove, an oven located below said working top, a cooking top at the other end of the stove having a depressed burner bowl extending partially over said oven, a removable cover for said cooking top having an edge flange resting on said top, said cooking top being'disposed in a plane below said working top to permit said cover when closed to be iiush with the work ing top, a pair of upright sheet metal panels spaced laterally from the abutting edges of the cooking top and the Working top so as to lie beneath the cooking top, said panels forming inner and outer side wallsof said oven, and conveXly curved sections along the upper edges of said panels shaped to provide clearance for said burn r bowls and to provide sufficient space between the sections for efiicient insulation of the oven. I

4. A gaseous fuel cookstovehaving, in combination, oven and cooking top sections disposed side by side and respectively having topsurfaces lying in a common plane, said oven section having inner and outer shells spaced apart to receive insulating material therebetween and forming top and side walls with convexly curved corner porforming with the top wall a rabbet the bottom of which is disposed substantially below the upper surface of the oven top wall, and said cooking section comprising a top plate with an edge portion projecting substantially beyond one vertical side wall of the oven section in overlapping relation thereto and fitting into said rabbet with the upper surface of the top plate spaced below the plane of the oven top, said top plate having a burner bowl partially overlying the vertical wall of the oven section, a utensil supporting grid overlying the burner bowl, and a cover for the top plate resting thereon and forming the top surface of the cooking section.

5. A gaseous fuel cookstove comprising, in com bination, a cooking top section having a top plate with a plurality of burner openings therein and a cover overlying the cooking top plate, an oven section having a compartment with one vertical side wall oifset laterally with respect to the edge of the cooking top section and underlying the cooking top plate, a horizontal top wall for said oven section, and a rounded corner portion connecting said upright side wall and said horizontal top wall, said corner portion having a rabbet receiving the top plate and cover and made of a depth substantially equal to the combined thickness of said top and cover so that the cover when closed is disposed coplanar with the horizontal top wall of the oven section.

6. A gaseous fuel cookstove having, an oven section and a cooking top section disposed side by side and respectively having top surfaces disposed in vertically spaced horizontal planes, said cooking section having a top plate, and said oven section having a horizontal top wall, a vertical side wall for said oven section underlying the adjacent edge portion of the cooking top plate, a corner portion connecting the horizontal top wall and said vertical side wall, and a cover resting upon the top plate and providing a top surface coplanar with the top surface of the oven section, said corner portion of the oven section pro viding a rabbet for receiving the edge of the top plate and the corresponding edge of the cover and made of a vertical depth substantially equal to the combined thickness of the top plate and cover.

7. A gaseous fuel cookstove comprising, in combination, a cooking top plate with a burner opening in one edge portion thereof and a cover overlying the top plate, an oven compartment having a horizontal top wall of substantial thickness, a vertical side wall for said oven compartment, and a corner portion connecting the side wall with the top wall and underlying said edge portion of the top plate with said burner opening disposed adjacent to the corner portion, said oven compartment being open at-its forward side and having a door closing the same with the upper edge of the door substantially flush with the upper surface of the cooking top plate.

HERBERT M. REEVES. 

